Together with the Moon
by Oathkeeper-Kairi
Summary: SoKai; Slightly canon. Kairi is sent by Yen Sid to reclaim the throne of Radiant Gardens, to save her people from sickness and strife. She is not prepared for a path wrought with betrayal, death, and war. Guarded by Sora, who hopes to prove his worth as a Keyblade Master through protecting her, Kairi must bring her country out of the flames and into the light. Rating will go up.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Together with the Moon

**Rating: **T for now; will go up to M later

**Full Summary: **Kairi is sent to reclaim the throne of Radiant Gardens, to find a cure to the sickness that is eating away at her people, and to stop the advance of a parasitic enemy and his equally malevolent dragon. She is not prepared for a path wrought with danger, betrayal, and war, and soon finds it all to be extremely overwhelming. Guarded by Sora, who hopes to prove his worth as a Keyblade Master through protecting her, Kairi must prove that she has what it takes to bring her country out of the flames and into the light. Sokai; Rating will go up.

**Warnings: **Violence, blood, mature themes, sexual content, slight gore.

**Universal Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts, its characters, its creators, and its storylines do not belong to me. Neither do the characters of the Eragon books. The only thing that belongs to me is the plot of this particular story, the events, and how I have arranged them. This is the only disclaimer that I will make for this story, and applies to all future chapters, including this one.

**Author's Notes: **This story idea popped up into my head today, and it was begging to be written. Please leave a review or drop me a PM to let me know what you think, how you're feeling, whether or not I should continue, etc.

**Song of the Chapter: **_"Furusato" _by Jia Peng Fang

. . . _ONE . . ._

I had known for quite some time that I was a princess, but I suppose I hadn't quite fit the puzzle pieces together and realized just what that entailed. Fairytales don't tell the truth of what it means to be the princess of an entire country, and they certainly didn't give you a step-by-step playbook of how to do it, either. I had to find out the hard way just how much strength, poise, and patience it takes to bring a country out of the flames and into the light.

It all began when King Mickey appeared at my home on Destiny Islands. I had just finished my homework upstairs and was coming down for a drink of water when I heard not one, but two voices coming from the dining room. Normally, I would assume it was just one of my mother's friends come to visit, but the voice was so unmistakably high-pitched that my heart had leapt. I dashed into the room, an image of oceanic blue eyes and a mess of unruly brown spikes dancing in my mind, and skidded to a halt in the entry way.

"Hiya, Kairi!" King Mickey turned in his seat and waved at me. He was wearing high trademark black cloak, so I knew this was no ordinary visit (not that a visit from him would ever be ordinary, anyway).

"Hello," I said timidly, as I didn't know him as well as my two Keybearer friends did. I waved back at him, and then my cerulean eyes slid to meet my mother's own.

Sadness.

My stomach flipped and I nearly fell to my knees, placing a hand flat over my wildly beating heart.

"Is . . . ?" My throat clenched and I fought back tear. "Are Sora and Riku . . . ?"

The King looked confused for a moment, before he blanched and jumped off of the chair. He waved his white-gloved hands around wildly, shaking his head.

"No, no, no, Kairi!" He cried. "They're perfectly safe. I'm here for another purpose."

Relief had shown itself visibly on my face, and then I'd leaned against the doorway for support for my wobbling knees. If he had come here with that news . . . Well, I didn't think I would have been able to stop crying. As it was right now, my eyes were watering.

I dreamed about it often, silver stained with red and unseeing cobalt blues. Swarming Heartless and Nobodies mauling them, ripping their limbs from their bodies and spilling guts all over the ground. I squeezed my eyes shut and shuddered. I'd been having those dreams a lot lately, and I wasn't sure if they were merely figments of my sleeping imagination . . . Or omens of death.

Sincerely hoping it wasn't the latter, I turned my attentions back to the King.

"Wh-What purpose?" I stammered, still clutching my heart.

The King exchanged glances with my mother, and then he said, "Master Yen Sid sent me to come and getcha."

I frowned. I didn't know who this Yen Sid was, but if he was friends with the King, then he probably wasn't a bad guy. Still . . . What did he want with me? I was a Princess of Heart, but I alone didn't have the power to do much of anything, really. I could wield a Keyblade, but I couldn't necessarily call upon my own, and I was weak of muscle and easily winded. Perhaps they had plans to train me . . . ?

"Am I . . . Leaving the Islands?" I asked apprehensively. The thought of adventuring and meeting new friends while also seeing old ones was thrilling, but scary nonetheless. I didn't know if I was going to be traveling with Sora and Riku, with Donald and Goofy, with all four, or completely on my own. That is to say if I was going to be traveling at all, of course.

"I'm afraid so," the King said gently. "But don't worry! Destiny Islands is not in any danger, and it will be here when ya get back!"

I nodded, my eyes searching the hardwood floor beneath me as if it had answers to all of my questions. When I lifted my gaze, it was to meet my mother's. I could see how dismayed she was at the fact that I was leaving again, but I could also tell that she understood. The King must have explained it all to her, because she gestured to a small duffel bag on the table.

"I packed you a pair of pajamas, some snacks, and your pink dress," my mother said shakily. She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes momentarily. "Your belt and bags are in the bottom of the bag, along with your tin of thalassa shells. I got you some new thread, so you could make bracelets when you get bored."

"Thank you, momma," I said. When I looked at her, sometimes I forgot that I was adopted.

"Now, go on ahead with the King," my mother said with a sniffle.

"And what of the Mayor?" King Mickey asked, referencing my adoptive father.

"I won't be gone for very long, will I?" I asked before my mother could speak. There was no need to tell my father I would be leaving if I wasn't going to be gone forever—I didn't think his heart could take it. After I had been kidnapped when I was fourteen, he had exhausted every effort and resource on the main islands to find me, and when he had failed, it had nearly killed him. When I'd left the second time, I had been gone for a short time, but he had still been upset. Now, I was leaving a third time . . . It would devastate him.

"I can't say for sure," King Mickey said, wiggling his ears and looking down sadly. "Yen Sid only said that it was extremely important that I bring you to his castle."

I clenched my fists at my sides. I didn't want to leave my parents, but this was the opportunity I had been waiting for. A chance to be a part of something much bigger than life on the Islands. An opportunity to explore and adventure and help other people without being unable to protect myself.

And I would finally get to be with Sora and Riku . . .

I had to do this. I had to do this for my own sake.

"Don't worry about your father, sweetheart," my mother said, using the handkerchief to wipe her tears again. "I'll explain to him what happened."

I rushed across the room to her, and she stood up to embrace me. I pillowed my head on her chest and wrapped my arms around her waist. It didn't matter if I was adopted. She was my mother, through and through, and I was going to miss her. Bloodlines would never change how I loved her, or my father, and I wished there was a better way for me to show that then leaving so soon after returning home.

"Good bye, momma," I whispered.

My mother kissed the top of my head. "Good bye, Kairi."

"Aw, don't worry, Kairi's mom," King Mickey spoke up with a smile. "We'll all take real good care of her! She'll be safe and be back home before ya know it!"

The King then turned around and drew his golden Kingdom Key, a flash of sparkles and tiny stars raining down into nothingness. He opened up a portal right there in the dining room and then looked at me over his shoulder, waiting.

I quickly grabbed my duffel bag and slung it over my shoulder. I walked into the shimmering portal after the King, giving my mother one last smile and wave before Destiny Islands closed completely behind me, leaving us in a completely different world.

Turning around, I was surprised to see that we were standing at the top of a long flight of stairs with no railings, leaving the sides of the stairs to drop into empty air. A glowing door with a magical symbol stood in front of them, and Mickey smiled up at me.

"Wait right here, Kairi," he said cheerfully. "It will be just a minute."

I watched as he disappeared inside, leaving me completely alone. Sighing heavily, I let my duffel bag fall to the floor. As ecstatic as I was to be in another world, I still felt a bit on the dejected side. I missed my parents already, not because I was homesick, but because of what I knew my leaving was going to do to them. I felt like I had disappointed them, leaving without warning and explanation. They were going to sit and wile away their days, waiting for me in sadness while I was off doing fun things with my friends. It didn't feel right, even though I knew sometimes these things had to be done.

I wiped my eyes quickly as the door opened a crack. I waited for a moment for someone to come out and beckon me inward, but when nobody did, I took it upon myself to enter on my own. I peeked around the edge of the door and immediately saw Riku. He was incredibly tall, at least six-foot-three, and his normally long silver hair had been cropped choppily about his chin. He wasn't looking at me, and was simply listening to King Mickey have a conversation with who I assumed was Yen Sid, a bearded man with foreboding bushy eyebrows sitting regally behind a grand oaken desk. Out the windows behind him, I could see hundreds of twinkling stars and a midnight blue sky.

A few words and phrases later, Mickey had introduced me and Riku was staring at me in shock. I didn't smile at him, though, mostly because I was still thinking about my parents, but also because something about Yen Sid made me feel as though smiling around the man would be perceived as immature and unnecessary.

Not really knowing the proper thing to do, I bowed my head and shoulders respectfully. "I'm Kairi," I said a bit lamely.

"I am aware of your name, Princess of Heart," Yen Sid spoke, his voice a rumbling storm cloud. The air around us was charged with unseen magic, and it was then that I realized that he was a sorcerer. He was clad in robes of blue silk, with a tall triangular hat perched comfortably atop his head of waist-length gray hair. His beard was long and fine, and it moved with him when he spoke.

"What didja want me to bring her here for?" King Mickey asked.

I looked over at Riku briefly, and he gave me a small half of a smile. His aquamarine eyes peered out at me from his silver bangs, still the same wise, mischievous eyes I'd always known.

"As you all well know, Kairi came from another world, washing up upon the shores of Destiny Islands when she was eight," Yen Sid said.

I gasped. "How did you know?"

"He's the High Sorcerer," King Mickey whispered to me. "He knows lots of stuff."

Yen Sid went on as if Mickey had never spoke. "You were sent to Destiny Islands via a protective spell put upon you by another Keybearer, to keep you safe. However, now that you are seventeen years old, it is nearly time for you to come of age."

My brow furrowed. What did my age have to do with anything? A protective spell? Another Keybearer? I supposed it wouldn't ring any bells though, seeing as I had no recollection of my childhood before washing up ashore of the Play Island.

"But I thought that Ansem sent me to the Islands, to see how I would react with the Keyblade?" I asked.

Yen Sid paused and narrowed his eyes. "How do you know this?"

"I . . . I read Ansem's Reports," I said sheepishly, clasping my hands behind my back. "When I was waiting at the Altar of Naught for Sora to beat Xemnas."

King Mickey said, "Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness had nothing to do with your appearance on Destiny Islands, Kairi. Be glad of it, because if he had, you might be in a worse state. No, it was someone else."

"Who?" Riku and I said simultaneously.

"That is not important at this time," Yen Sid said, his words thundering outward and making me feel as though I were cowering. "What _is _important is that your are the heir to a throne that has no Queen to sit within it. Once you are of age, the throne will call to you and you will no longer be able to live away from it. It is time, Kairi."

Yen Sid's words settled upon me like a prickling thorn bush. I was immediately assaulted by a violent array of emotions: shock, confusion, anger, and most of all, fear. I knew I was a princess, and that my heart was the key to opening Kingdom Hearts, but I was not in any way, shape, or form ready to be royalty.

"Time?" I stared up at Riku, wide-eyed. He had answers, right? He was Riku, and he had always known everything.

Riku shrugged, looking pale.

King Mickey said, "Ever since Sora and Riku went in for their exams, Radiant Gardens has been taken over by a man named Galbatorix, his legions of men, and his dragon. Merlin and the others couldn't keep them back, and the people of Radiant Gardens are becoming frightened."

"Galbatorix?" Riku asked, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. "How is Kairi supposed to claim the throne if it's already claimed?"

Yen Sid said, "Galbatorix has yet to actually step into the shoes of king. He rules the cities of southern hemisphere, and the northern hemisphere remains under the care of the wizard Merlin, along with the help of Leon and his friends. However, Galbatorix has grown restless as of late and has been sending small squadrons of men to the outlying villages to plunder and destroy. We need the peoples of the northern hemisphere to rally together under one flag, rather than the scattered flags of fear."

I wanted to sit down. "And you think that _I _have the power to do this?"

"You are the rightful heir to the throne," Yen Sid said, as if it explained everything.

King Mickey reached up to touch my arm in comfort. "Don't worry, Kairi. I'll come with ya and try to help ya as much as I can, and so will Merlin, Leon, and others."

"Who is living in the castle now?" Riku asked curiously, arms still crossed. "Is Hollow Bastion castle still overrun with Heartless?"

"The castle has been fully restored and the living members of the royal family have been found and returned to Radiant Gardens," Yen Sid explained, steepling his fingers in front of him. "And there is another matter . . ."

"Hm?" My eyebrows rose. There was _more_?

Yen Sid murmured, "A sickness has spread across the entirety of the planets like wildfire. A terrible sickness that eats away at the flesh but fills the blood with darkness. The afflicted are neither living nor dying, and the cure cannot be found through conventional means. Most of the infected have been quarantined to one town on the border, where all infected are sent, but many fear that they will break through the barriers and spread the disease to the cities and villages."

"It's an awful, painful illness," King Mickey explained. "But not much else is known about it—you'll have to ask the researchers when you get to the castle."

"That's horrible!" I said sadly, thinking of children crying for their mothers and dead bodies littering the ground like in my nightmares. "There isn't a cure?"

"No," Yen Sid answered. "However, after looking through some old tomes, I discovered that there is a possibility that your heart might have the power to cure it. The other Princesses have tried, such as Belle and Cinderella, but they all failed. You are the last hope of your people, Kairi, and it is up to you to find the correct solutions to the disease and to Galbatorix."

"I don't turn eighteen for another six months or so," I said hesitantly. My knees had gone weak. I was petrified and my mind was whirling. I had wanted to be a part of something big, but . . . Was this _too_ big? "What if this . . . This _Galbatorix _guy attacks before I can be crowned?"

"Your surviving family members and the lords of the surrounding northern hemisphere lands have form a council and have already been working towards a semblance of unity, recruiting more soldiers for the army and doing what they can," Mickey explained. "But there's a lot more to it than what they can handle with Merlin. There are laws to be signed, contracts to be looked over, money to be budgeted, festivals to be thrown to keep the people happy . . . A lot to do, with no singular monarch to do it."

"It will be a dangerous job," Yen Sid said softly. "Aside from Galbatorix, many people wish to rule Radiant Gardens and the northern hemisphere. There will be people who wish you dead, but this is all tantamount to the importance of ruling in the first place. Radiant Gardens needs her queen, Princess of Heart."

"Who will protect me?" I stammered, still trying to find my footing and grasp onto something familiar. "Riku?"

"I have another task for Riku to pursue, unfortunately," Yen Sid said. "However, I do believe that there is only one person that is suited to guard you, and that person is someone you know very, very well."

My heart sang. I knew exactly whom Yen Sid was talking about. The only person who could truly help me through this, help me weather the storm, was _him_. He was my best friend, and we had been through everything together. He had chased darkness and shadows into the abyss for me, stabbed himself with his own blade, and gotten on his knees to beg for my life. I would have no other person as my guardian.

The door blasted open and in came tumbling a squawking Donald, a guffawing Goofy, each of them yelling over one another in their rush to greet the King. Riku and I both turned to face the doorway, to meet those oceanic pools of blue, and even though it hadn't been very long since he'd left for his Mark of Mastery exam, time seemed to freeze for me.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone! I was . . ."

Silence.

"_Kairi_?!"

. . . with the_ MOON** . . .**_

**End Notes: **Thank you for stopping by to give this first chapter a chance! Any reviews that are left, I promise to reply to either privately, or at the bottom of the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: **Hello again, everyone! I know this update is super fast, but I really abhor having chapters written and not posting them! Anyway, there's a tiny bit of violence (sparring) in this chapter, and some foul language! Also, please do me a favor, all, and listen to the song of the chapter when you're reading. It really helps set the mood, especially because traditional Chinese music is the bomb! So without further _adieu_, here is the second chapter of _Together with the Moon_!

**Song of the Chapter: **_"Girl in the Rice Field" _by Hans-Andre Stammt

. . . _TWO . . ._

Sora had grown taller since leaving for the Mark of Mastery exam, that much I could see from where I stood, and his features were sharper, more angular. His hair was an inch or two longer, the spikes more bedheaded and all over the place than ever before, so that he had to continuously brush his bangs out of his eyes. Those eyes . . . Those cobalt blue eyes had never appeared more crystal clear and full of clarity. He had the eyes of a warrior, tried and true and as he looked at me, I felt as if I was the only person in the room with him.

Blushing, I averted my gaze and put my hands on my hips.

"Sora, you lazy bum," I chided. "Late, as usual."

Sora laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. He was still looking at me, through long, thick lashes. His smile was shy but it dazzled me all the same.

"Heh, sorry. I didn't know you were gonna be here, though, or else I would have moved a little bit faster!" His smile widened into his trademark cheesy grin, and my cheeks flamed.

Had he really just said that? Was it possible that Sora had missed me while he was gone on his exam? Then again, Sora was one of my best friends. It would only make sense for him to miss me when he was gone, the same as he would miss any of his friends. Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka . . . I was no different.

But he _was _looking at me a little differently than he used to when we were younger . . . Or maybe it was just my imagination.

King Mickey began giggling uncharacteristically, nudging Donald and Goofy in the sides as they shared their own private joke. Riku had his hands on his hips, shaking his head as if disappointed, and Yen Sid cleared his throat in an almost awkward manner.

"What?" Sora asked, oblivious as usual. "What did I say?"

I hurriedly turned to Yen Sid. "When do we leave?"

Yen Sid looked surprised (and relieved to be back on a topic that wasn't on the embarrassing side), and his eyes softened, if that were at all possible with those eyebrows. "I have a few things to do to prepare Merlin for your arrival, and then as soon as the gummi ship is ready, you may depart. Why don't you head to the training arena with the others? Perhaps one of you boys could teach her a few things . . . ? And Sora, I'll call you back up in a short time to speak with you."

"Sparring with Kairi?" Riku chuckled, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "After all the years of her cheering Sora and I on during _our_ sparring, I never thought I'd see the day when she did the fighting, too."

I couldn't help but smile, even though my mind felt weighted down with all of the information that I had just learned about Radiant Gardens and what my task was. Riku was right—it was going to feel odd to spar with my friends, who were so much more seasoned than I was, but it might be fun. I just hoped they'd go easy on me.

"You'd better be on your guard, Riku," Sora teased, clasping his hands behind his head in the relaxed stance he usually defaulted to. "Kairi's a redhead—she might be just as fiery as Axel. Err . . . Lea."

"I don't know about that, Sora," Donald said, waving one wing. "Lea's pretty powerful."

"Well, maybe I oughta spar with Ax—err . . . Lea . . . And prove you wrong!" Sora grinned wolfishly and jabbed his thumb against his own chest.

"A-hyuck," Goofy laughed. "Gawrsh, Sora, remember what happened the _last _time?"

Riku smirked and leaned down closer to me. He smelled like vanilla. "Sora likes to think he won that fight, but there's a scar on the back of his left leg that begs to differ."

I knew he wanted me to laugh or feel smug, but for some reason, I couldn't. In fact, I was thoroughly concerned. My first instinct was to want to run over and inspect the scar, to see if there was anything I could do. What if it was causing him pain? Jeez, men were so violet, laughing at their battle wounds as if they were badges. Was that my future if I learned how to properly summon a Keyblade? Comparing scrapes and bruises and wearing them like medals?

Faking a smile, I changed the subject. "Who is Lea?"

"Lea is the Somebody of the one you previously knew as Axel," Yen Sid informed me. "He regained his heart, and is currently staying in my castle."

My eyes darkened. Axel was the one who had kidnapped me and thrown me in a jail cell in The Castle That Never Was. That jail cell, so cold and empty . . . Pluto had been my only company, helping remind me that Sora was coming to save me. Namine had ended up being my rescuer, but I had met up with Sora at some point while he was on the _way_ to my rescue. For me, that was enough.

However, they were all talking about that redheaded pyromaniac as if he were their _friend_. I was a forgiving person and I didn't really hold grudges, but I don't think anyone would truly understand what it was like for me in that prison. Organization members had harassed me every day, threatening to hurt me or worse . . . It was a time that I liked to place away from my thoughts, but my nightly dreams reminded me that not all memories can be forgotten.

"You okay?" Riku was frowning at me.

"I'm fine," I said dismissively. "Let's head to the training room."

We all made for the door, but then the King spoke.

"Donald, Goofy," he said brightly. "I need you to come with me—we have work to do back at Disney Castle."

"Huh?" Donald said, and he and Goofy exchanged glances. "We're not going with Sora?"

"Nope, ha-huh!" Mickey laughed. "We've got lots to do! We'll meet up with them at Radiant Gardens soon."

I stepped out of the room, holding the door open for Riku to walk through it. Behind us, Sora said his goodbyes to his companions and then followed us to the stairwell.

"Gee, it sure is good to see you, Kairi," Sora said as we walked down the steps of the ethereal tower. Riku was to my left, the brunette to my right, and for the first time in a while, I felt nostalgic.

"How did your exams go?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and trying to hide my blush at Sora's words. I couldn't understand why I was feeling so modest around Sora all-of-a-sudden; everything he said regarding me was causing me to flush bright maroon. I was so embarrassed, but I didn't know what else to do besides to continuously change the subject.

I soon realized that the Mark of Mastery exam was the wrong topic to change our conversation to. Sora's facial expression fell as a shooting star rains from Heaven, and all traces of mirth vacated his normally bright eyes. He hung his head like a shamed puppy dog.

Seeing Sora's dejected manner, Riku reached over the top of my much shorter height and ruffled Sora's long, defined spikes much like he had done to me in Yen Sid's office.

"Sora did his best, and he made it really far," Riku said encouragingly. "We both made a lot of new friends in other worlds, and saved a lot of lives. We don't need trophies or awards to know that."

"Thanks, man," Sora said, offering Riku a small smile. "But it still sucks. I really wanted to be named Keyblade Master."

"I thought you _were _Keyblade Master?" I asked, puzzled.

"Well, I _was_," Sora said, scratching the back of his head. "But then we found out that there used to be more than one Keyblade Master back in the day. Yen Sid told us we had to take our Mark of Mastery exams so that we could make it all official. But I . . . I failed the exam."

I halted on one of the steps, hands on my hips. The boys went ahead a few more steps before they realized that I had stopped following them, and both of them turned to look at me. I couldn't stop myself from noting that they were standing on the same level . . . And Sora was almost taller than Riku! When had _that _happened? He was still wearing the black, red, and yellow outfit that he had been wearing when I'd met him in The World That Never Was, and it seemed to have grown and molded to fit him. Wondering to myself if it was magic, I stomped my boot-clad foot angrily.

"That isn't fair!" I complained.

"What?" Sora laughed, exchanging amused glances with Riku.

"What isn't fair?" Riku asked.

Keeping one hand on my hip, I leaned forward and pointed at Sora with my free hand. "Everyone knows that you single-handedly saved the multiverse when you fought Ansem. You saved hundreds of worlds and millions of people. If anyone deserves to pass the Mark of Mastery exam, it's _you_."

Sora's smile faltered. "Aw, thanks, Kairi . . . But there are rules, and we've all got to follow them if we're going to wield the Keyblade."

"Says _who_?" I whined, hands back on my hips. "A stuffy bearded man cooped up in a tower? A giant mouse? Don't get me wrong—they're good people, and they're your friends, but . . . Jesus Christ, Sora. You've saved my life multiple times." My brows knitted together and I glared hard at the ground, blushing yet again. "No offense to Riku, but . . . I think you deserve it more."

Sora looked shocked, but Riku was smiling gently. He reached over to put his hand on Sora's shoulder.

"I agree with her."

Sora and I both cried out, "You _do_?!"

Riku threw his head back and laughed heartily, still squeezing Sora's shoulder. "Hell yeah, I do! I'm half the reason why everything went to shit when we were younger. I don't deserve to be Master, let alone a Keybearer in the first place. You do."

Sora's eyebrows shot up and he crossed arms behind his head, smirking. "Potty mouth."

I covered my mouth and giggled. Riku had _always_ been a bit of a foul mouth. He was always the one who was cussing like a sailor, whereas Sora was the one who insisted on a Swear Jar. Of course, then I caught him saying the F word when he was fishing once. He had dropped his fishing pole down over the edge of the shipwreck on the Play Island, and let me tell you what. He paid me five dollars just to keep it a secret.

"And Riku," I said, "for the record, you do deserve to wield the Keyblade. That isn't what I was saying . . . I just don't think it's fair that Sora was told he was the Keyblade Master for more than a year, and now all-of-a-sudden, he's not. It makes me angry."

"Whoa there, little firecracker," Riku laughed, holding up his hands defensively. "Don't feel so angry. Following rules is a part of life."

"Yeah well . . . I don't like the rules," I muttered.

Riku sighed, "Then how do you expect to be Queen over an entire world if you get pissy over rules that don't even apply to you?"

I opened my mouth to retort, but Sora's look of flabbergasted awe was enough to shut me up. I realized in that moment that Sora had either forgotten that I was the Princess of Radiant Gardens, or he hadn't known in the first place. That came as a surprise to me, because usually Sora knew everything I needed to know, and I could ask him any question and he would have an answer. So I closed my mouth, wondering if he was going to be okay with giving up his saving of many worlds just to protect me on one, and if he was going to even want to be my guardian. I guess you could say I was feeling insecure, but I didn't know where to place those feelings so I tried to confine them to a small box inside of my heart.

"You're going to be a Queen?" Sora asked, eyes as wide as saucers.

I nodded, keeping my face blank. I didn't want anyone to know how terrified I was. "Radiant Gardens. There are a lot of bad things happening in the shadows, and they need me to unify the people. So . . . So yeah. I'm going to be Queen."

". . . _Wow_." His hands situated themselves on his hips. "Riku's right, Kairi. Rules are important in a lot of things, especially ruling a country. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

I protested, "Of course I am! I may not know the first thing about it, but . . . But I'm willing to learn! And that's what I'm going to do when I get there." I brushed past my two older, taller friends and started back down the long flight of stairs. I called behind me, "I have six months until I'm eighteen, and by then, I plan on being ready."

Man, did I talk a big game because I. Was. _Terrified._

When we finally made it to the second floor training room, I realized that I had forgotten altogether that Axel or Lea, or whatever his name was, was probably going to be in there. So my haughty, prideful mood dissipated almost as soon as I laid eyes on him, leaving me feeling surly and a little bit fearful. I didn't trust him.

Axel stood in the center of the room, holding one of his chakrams up into the artificial light that filtered down through the big, round room. To either side of him, the walls were lined with all sorts of things that could be used for training: wooden weapons, metal weapons, dummies that were on stands, dummies that were on wheels, flasks of water, whips and chains to be used as weapons (though the sight of them made me feel a bit uncomfortable), etcetera. When the three of us entered the room, our footsteps echoing, Axel's glimmering emerald eyes landed immediately on me. His grin was unsettling.

"Well, well, well . . . Look who it is. The crazy little redhead who had me chasing her all over Twilight Town."

I glared at him, absentmindedly stepping behind Sora to partially hide myself. Sora looked bewildered, glancing at me over his shoulder, but I had eyes only for the tattooed pyro in front of us.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't like I was just going to _let _you kidnap me," I challenged. "That would be stupid."

"It definitely would have made things a helluva lot easier, Red." He smirked and began spinning his chakrams around on one finger, putting his other hand on his small hip. He was so tall and lanky that it was almost treelike, and his long red hair fell back away from his forehead in just the way I remembered. He was wearing his black cloak still, so even if he had a heart now, he remained, in appearance, a big, fat jerk to me.

"Where's your Keyblade, dude?" Riku asked, strolling across the room with purpose to one of the weapon walls. He peered up at the selection, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Don't feel like using it," Axel retorted. "I'm used to these babies." As if to solidify his statement, his second chakram materialized out of nothingness in his free hand, and both of them began to burn with orange, glowing flames. His grin was toothy and wicked.

Sora stepped into the middle of the room, his feet spread shoulder-width apart. He pointed directly at Axel.

"Then I challenge you to a good, old-fashioned duel," he said cheerfully, and for some reason, it made me feel sick. Did both of my friends have not a care in the world as to the fact that this man _kidnapped _me and _threw me _into a _prison cell_?

Axel's arms shot wildly out into the air and a blast of flames so hot that it choked the breath of me surrounded him. His eyes gleamed as he cried, "You're on!"

Riku was suddenly beside me, chuckling as he pushed me closer to the wall, outside of an invisible wall that I hadn't noticed. I soon saw that it kept back any magical blasts, like Axel's flames, so that it didn't burn the watchers of the duel. Still, I felt on edge as I watched them, even though I knew Sora probably wouldn't allow himself to get hurt.

Although, he _did_ have the scar on his leg, which I could see clearly now that Sora's back was to me. It made me even _more _angry.

In the ring, Sora barely had time to draw his blade before Axel lunged toward him with lightning speed. Lionheart met the chakrams with a loud _clang_, sending both of them flying away from one another. Sora used his momentum to whirl himself around and send his Keyblade spinning across the distance between them, clipping Axel in the stomach and causing him to double over. Determination gleamed in his eyes as he leapt up into the air, so high that Riku and I had to tilt our heads back, and then landed behind Axel with his Keyblade in hand and held up to his throat.

"Whoa," I said as Riku gave a low whistle. "That was amazing!"

"Care for round 2?" Sora said, stepping away from Axel and slinging his Keyblade over his shoulder nonchalantly.

"Isn't this time supposed to be used to be teaching Kairi a few things?" Riku scolded pointedly, jerking his head in my direction.

"Aw," Axel whimpered. "Just let me beat him once~"

"Hah!" Sora scoffed. "As _if_. But come on, man—this _is _actually supposed to be Kairi's time in the ring."

"Psh, fine. Shall I go first?" Axel joked.

I shook my head wildly and shouted, "_NO!_" so loudly that the echo caused everyone to have to clap their hands over their ears.

"_Fuckin' A, Red_!" Axel exclaimed. "You got some pipes. Sheesh, fine. I won't spar you. But don't expect Sora to go any easier on you!"

I ignored Axel deliberately because I hated him, and then marched over to the weapons wall. My hand hovered over each weapon in turn, my mind weighing the stats. I may not have been in many battles (try like, one), but I was book smart. I knew that it took strength, speed, stamina, and a well-made weapon to be successful in battle. You wanted the weapon weight to body weight ratio to be balanced, otherwise everything could fall apart.

"I thought you could wield a Keyblade . . . ?" Riku remarked. "Why don't you just draw yours?"

"Because I can't call it out," I admitted. "I don't know how."

"What?!" Sora frowned and held one hand out in front of him. "It's easy . . . You feel this tingle in your belly, a flutter in your heart, your arm shakes a little bit and then, _viola_! Keyblade." A bright flash of light, and Lionheart appeared again, and Sora was smiling like a cheeky little elf.

I rubbed my arm modestly, looking away from everyone. "I can't do it. I just don't know how."

Sora's frowned merely deepened. "Well, maybe that's something we'll have to work on. If you can wield a Keyblade, then you can call on one—that just _has _to be true. Anyway, pick a weapon and come over here. You can spar me first."

"Why, is Riku too scared to fight me?" I teased, wrinkling my nose as I absentmindedly reached for a short sword. I yanked it off the wall . . . And went toppling straight onto the ground. Apparently, the metal swords were _much _heavier than they looked.

Sora laughed lightly, jogging over to help me to my feet. Up this close, I realized that he, too had a smell of his own—a mix between lavender and sandalwood—and I could clearly see how much he had matured. His skin was smooth and clear, and when I glanced down at his toned, muscular arm, I could see why it was easier for him to hold weapons.

Cheeks flaring red, I thanked him and stepped away.

Sora turned around and examined the wall, finally settling upon two small daggers with long, jagged blades and simple gold hilts. He presented them to me with a cheery smile.

"Try these," he said. "They're light and since you're tiny, it'll be easier for you to take a quicker approach."

I nodded and took one in each hand, testing the weight in turn. They felt light, but not as if they were going to break on contact with another weapon. Sora watched me, a serious expression on his face. I couldn't help but think about the fact that his countenance was different now, almost as if he were truly enjoying himself. Was battle this important to him? I supposed it _was _important to love your craft . . . He wouldn't make a very good warrior if he didn't enjoy it to _some _extent, now would he?

"Okay, now, let's go over some common stances . . ."

Over the next half-hour or so, Sora and Riku helped me to learn some of the basic combat stances that I would need to know, including a few defensive tactics for certain situations (Axel had left after the first ten minutes, claiming hunger). For the most part, it was easy, but I was so out of shape that by the end of it, I was feeling mortified and winded, and Sora seemed to be a bit irritated. He didn't seem to like the fact that I couldn't hold some of the stances as long as I should be able to, swearing to me that if I didn't get it right, that could be all that it took to get me killed.

After the third time Sora complained about my form, Riku finally stepped in to snap at him.

"Come on, Sora," Riku growled. "She's new at this. It's going to take her some time."

"Yeah, I know, but we don't always _have_ time," Sora countered, looking me up and down as if I were made of porcelain or glass. "I once fought on a battlefield on my own against one thousand Heartless. Do you think I would still be alive today if I had had poor form or a lazy stance? No."

"Understood, Sora, but right now, we _do _have time." Riku then lowered his voice and grabbed Sora's shoulder. "I know you're disappointed in yourself about the exam, but you can't take it out on Kairi. You can't."

Sora looked at me, and there was sympathy in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kai."

My heartbeat skipped at the sound of the nickname. He rarely called me Kai, but when he did, it felt . . . Special somehow. Rather, it made _me _feel special. It made me feel special to know that someone cared about me enough to give me a nickname, though I did feel a bit embarrassed about feeling that way. Sora and I were just friends, so nicknames were normal in friendships, weren't they?

"It's okay," I panted, wiping sweat from my brow. "Should we spar now?"

"I gotta step in on this one," Riku said, shaking his head. "Even though Sora was being an asshole, you aren't ready for a full-on fight yet."

I pouted and walked over to the weapons wall, gently hanging my blades back up. It was a pity. I liked the feeling of having weapons in hand. It made me feel less weak—powerful, even. Like I could protect myself from anyone or anything. And that was a feeling that I'd been seeking for a long time now.

I didn't want to be helpless anymore.

"Why don't you work off that bad mood?" Riku suggested to Sora, punching him playfully on the arm. Way to the Dawn appeared in his left hand and he walked a few feet away before turning and pointing the sharp tip of the blade in his direction. He smirked, and that was all the invitation Sora needed to attack.

Blades clashing, Sora and Riku were a blur of multiple colors as they went at each other full force for a few seconds. Hop-skipping back, they began to circle each other, Sora with his Keyblade held low and Riku with his arched high. Their eyes were narrowed, calculating—as if they were battling Heartless and not each other. A spit second of silence, and then they were sprinting toward each other.

Sora swung low, aiming for Riku's ribcage, but the silverette was like smoke, twisting backward so that Sora missed. He parried the brunette's blow with ease. Sora stumbled forward, surprised, and Riku caught him across the back with the flat of his blade. Wincing, Sora staggered forward and barely managed to spin around and block Riku's next blow, falling to his knees. Riku and Sora met blades once more, but Riku had the advantage of strength as opposed to Sora's speed.

Sora went soaring backward as Riku surprised him with a heavy punch to the gut, causing all of the air to rush out of his abdomen. Had Sora's leg not been scarred from Axel's flames in their long ago battle, he would have been able to balance himself. He rolled onto his back, wheezing past the throbbing ache in his midsection. Lionheart clattered to the floor a yard or so away before disappearing in a shower of shimmer.

I cried out in horror when Riku stalked up to the fallen eighteen-year-old and sent a swift, savage kick pummeling into his side. My hands flew to my mouth. This was so brutal . . . I had never seen them spar like this. Was this because they were pretending each other were Heartless? Or were they harboring some sort of ill will toward one another?

"Get up," Riku snarled, as if Sora really were a Heartless.

Sora did just that, surprising Riku with a well-aimed punch to the jugular. He choked on air and clutched his neck. Sora summoned his Keyblade and smacked Riku on the hip with the edge of the blade, slicing clean through the fabric of his shirt and biting into his flesh slightly. He dropped down to his knees expertly, grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, and threw it into Riku's aquamarine eyes. Then, ignoring the pain in his leg, he ran back a little ways, pivoted back on his right foot, and sent the Keyblade spinning into Riku's solar plexus in a Strike Raid, the hilt successfully hitting its mark.

Riku's arms flew up into the air and he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

Sora de-summoned his Keyblade quickly and fell to his knees on the training room floor, gasping for air. There was a cut on his upper right arm, and scrapes on his knees that oozed blood. My jaw hung open as I stared at my two friends, tears filling my eyes. They had hurt each other. _Really _hurt each other. Was this was battling was about? If it was . . . Well, then I don't think I wanted anything to do with it.

Riku sat up, shaking his hair free of dirt and pulled his knees to his chest. To my amazement, he was laughing even though his eyes were streaming with tears.

"Shit, Sora. You really beat me this time. I'm actually bleeding."

Sora coughed meekly and grinned lopsidedly. "I think you bruised my diaphragm, Riku . . ."

"This is ridiculous!" I cried, drawing their attention. "Completely ridiculous!"

The silverette and the brunette exchanged bemused glances and then looked at me as if I had just sprouted three heads.

"It's just sparring, Kairi," Riku said.

"Yeah," Sora agreed, slowly standing up and reaching down to pull Riku to his feet as well. "We've both suffered much worse."

"I don't doubt that, but . . ." My lower lip stuck out. I didn't like seeing them hurt. At all. Was this why Sora hadn't wanted me to come with them? Because of how I was feeling right now? I guess I understood . . .

How was I going to be a Queen if I could hardly stand to see my own friends hurt? How was I going to help all of those sick people if I didn't like to see Sora with scraped knees, or Riku with a bruise? I looked down. I wished I could say that Yen Sid had picked the wrong girl, but unfortunately . . . It was in my blood to rule.

Before Riku or Sora could speak and try to cheer me up, a walking broom appeared in the door. I looked on in alarm because hello, a _walking broom_, but the boys didn't seem perturbed.

"I guess that's my cue," Sora said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll see you guys later."

He threw me one last look over his shoulder before he left, and I took a step back.

Was that . . . Sympathy?

. . . with the_ MOON__** . . .**_

**End Notes: **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I gave you a little taste of Axel action, though he won't be in this story much. This story is about Kairi, Sora, and the path to Kairi becoming Queen! I do love Axel, though~ Anyway, catch you guys on the flipside!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: **Another rapid update! I hope this isn't bothering anyone, but I want the introductory chapters to come out really quick. I assure you, it may be happy-go-lucky and innocent right now, but the rating WILL go up, and frankly, shit's gonna get fucked up real soon. Stay with me until then~ Also, I have fixed the mistakes in Chapter Two!

**Special Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters of _Tales of Graces_, and Namco and Bandai are not mine, neither are their stories, games, or characters.

**Song of the Chapter: **_"Fields of Fortune" _by Secret Garden

. . . _THREE . . ._

After Sora had gone back up to Yen Sid's room at the top of the spindly, winding tower, Riku and I made our way to the castle kitchens. Riku immediately went to the fridge and rummaged through it, leaving me to peer around the room. Everything was very medieval, and that's the only way I could explain it to myself. It was definitely big, with an island stove in the center, and an old oven in the corner that looked to be fueled by real fire. There were stools nearby, so I took a seat on one of them.

"You want anything?" Riku asked, mouth full of some sort of fruit.

"No," I mumbled. Now that we were no longer focusing on weapons and forms and sparring, I was free to worry about other things. Other things like the most pressing matter on my mind: the fact that in just a few short hours, I was going to be flying toward a world that would one day be mine to rule.

It had never once crossed my mind that as a Princess of Heart, I _must _have had some sort of land to rule. I had known for a short time that I was from Radiant Gardens, but I hadn't ever really accepted the fact that it was my duty to reclaim the throne. In fact, I was starting to think I had purposefully forgotten my childhood, because I was extremely overwhelmed. Ruling a country was hard enough, from what some of the other Princesses of Heart had told me in the past, but ruling an _entire world_?

I groaned miserably and passed a hand tiredly down my face.

Riku stood on the opposite side of the counter from me, leaning forward on his elbows and peeling a big orange.

"You look tired," he said, smirking.

"You cut your hair," I quipped sarcastically. "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

He rolled his eyes. "Quit psyching yourself out. When you get there, you're going to have _so _many people to help you. You'll have advisers, council officers, guards, maids and servants, Merlin, Leon, Yuffie . . . Nobody is going to thrust you out into it without offering you help first."

"It's still nerve-wracking," I said, running my hair backward through my hair and messing up my bangs. "Yesterday, I was at school, studying for SATs."

"School?" Riku snorted. "I can't even imagine going back to that shit."

"Potty mouth," I mocked, copying Sora's earlier jibe.

"You think _I'm_ a potty mouth? You should see Sora when we're flying the gummi ship. You wanna talk about a potty mouth . . . Whoooo-wee."

"Seriously, though," I went on, self-consciously fixing my crimson red hair. "I'm _freaking _out. It's just like . . . What if I can't make everyone happy? What if I can't cure the disease? And what if Galbatorix attacks, and I fail? Yen Sid made it seem like everyone is going to be out to get me."

"Everyone _is _going to be out to get you."

I glared daggers at my nineteen-year-old friend. "Not helping, jerk."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Kairi." Riku took a sliver of orange and put it in his mouth. "You're overthinking it. You're going to do a great job. If anything, you're one of the most determined people in the multiverse. You waited for Sora's crazy ass for a year, even though you had no memory of who he was. If that doesn't show inner strength, then I don't know what does."

I lowered my gaze. "It's gonna take more than inner strength though . . . But thank you."

Riku spent another moment chewing some more of his orange, studying my heart-shaped face closely.

"How do you feel about Sora being appointed as your guardian?"

"Hm?" I shrugged. "Happy, of course. He's my best friend, so why wouldn't I be?"

The smirk was back, dancing on his lips like wildfire. "He's gonna be your _personal_ guardian, you know. Which means you guys are going to be spending a _loooot_ of time together."

"Yeah, so?" Suspicious, I squinted at him. What was he getting at?

"You know, he was looking at your butt when he first walked into Yen Sid's office."

I nearly blew a gasket. Screaming at him at the top of my lungs, I chased him around the kitchen for a good five minutes, throwing anything I could get my hands on in his general direction. Leave it to Riku to turn everything into an R-rated innuendo.

Besides, my flat as a pancake rear end was hardly anything interesting to look at.

The door opened and much to my distaste, Axel entered the room.

Still laughing, Riku slung an arm around Axel's neck. "You're just in time to help me convince Kairi here that Sora likes her."

Axel's grin was impish as he looked directly at me. "She didn't know that already?"

"Shut up, you two!" I wailed, stomping each of my feet in turn. "Sora and I are just friends!"

"I dunnoooo," Axel trilled. "He talks about you an awful lot."

"Even if he did, I wouldn't believe it coming from _you._" I folded my arms across my chest with a _harummph_ and turned away from him. Man, I _really _didn't like him! I just wanted to leave this castle already, so I didn't have to look at his stupid tattooed face anymore.

"Hey, guys." Sora poked his head in the doorway. "Can Kairi and I have a minute alone?"

You could imagine Sora's confusion when Riku and Axel both burst out into gut-wrenching laughter that had them both nearly collapsing to the floor. I smacked my palm to my face, aggravated. I didn't want Sora to know what they had previously been teasing me about. It was embarrassing and awkward and just all around stressful. Especially because I had no idea whether or not Sora liked me as more than a friend, and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about him either.

He _was _looking pretty handsome now that his hair was so long though . . .

Shaking those thoughts from my head, I lowered myself back onto a stool and waited while Axel and Riku guffawed their way out into the hall, falling all over each other like drunkards. Sora scratched the top of his head, looking beyond confused.

"What the . . . ?"

"Don't ask," I said meekly, shaking my head. "Really."

Slowly, Sora turned to look at me and now, instead of confusion, I saw something else. Something much darker, more somber. Something serious. Images of everything we had been through together flashed through my mind like lightning for reasons unbeknownst to me, and I was violently reminded of the sacrifices that he had made for me. And even now, as he was slowly but steadily getting to his knees on the stone floor beneath my stool, I couldn't stop thinking about what it was like to see him as a Heartless, to know that he had literally plunged his Keyblade into his own heart for me.

Was I worth all that?

Did he have a scar?

"S-Sora!" I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth. "What are you doing?"

"Pledging myself to you, Your Highness."

"Wh-What?" My palms were clammy. This was . . . Odd.

"If I'm gonna be your personal guardian, I want it to be serious," Sora said, his voice slightly muffled. His head was completely bowed to the ground. "Besides, you better get used to people bowing and pledging and praying to you, and all that fun stuff." He lifted his head and smiled.

"What, because I'm a Princess now?" I tried to hide my blush by placing my slender fingers to my cheeks. Sora could be so silly sometimes.

"No. It's because you're going to be _Queen_ . . ." He hopped to his feet and brushed his bangs out of his sparkling eyes. "You've _always _been a princess."

If had been drinking water, I would have spit it out all over the counter in front of me.

Sora went on, ignorant to my fidgety, bashful state, and said, "So now that I'm your official guardian, Your Majesty, can I escort you to the gummi ship hangar?"

"Oh, my gosh, Sora," I said, hiding my face completely. "Just act normally. And don't say 'Your Majesty'. It's weird."

He laughed, "Aw, but it's so fun!"

I wrinkled my nose and hopped down off the stool, unwittingly placing myself within inches of Sora's tall, toned body. His scent washed over me, making me feel lightheaded and wobbly-kneed. I was blushing so hard that I could swear all of the blood in my body was in my cheeks.

Sora cocked his head to the side, fingers laced behind his head as he placed all his weight on one leg. "When did you shrink?" he asked, seeming amused.

"Psh, when did _you _grow?" I shot back.

He arched one perfect eyebrow, and sheesh, he really _was _attractive . . .

"Hey, listen, Kai . . . I really am sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to take out my frustrations on you. Forgive me?"

I smiled softly at him. I hadn't ever really noticed, but . . . Sora was less goofy around me now. His words were calm and deliberate, as if everything he said, he meant to say, and he was never embarrassed by any of the dorky things that managed to issue forth from his mouth. And his apology definitely seemed sincere.

"Of course," I said truthfully. "And yes, you may escort me to the hangar."

"Well, in that case . . . Right this way, Your Redliness." Sora smirked and performed a flourished bow, gesturing toward the door.

We made our way up stairs and down halls, chatting amiably about a few of the adventures Sora had had during his Mark of Mastery exams. While he was cheerful in the way he was talking, I detected a note of something else weaving its way throughout the inflections in his voice. It was quite possible that something had happened to Sora during his exam, though whether it was good or bad, I had yet to discern. Worried, I linked my arm through Sora's.

Halting mid-speech, Sora looked at me in silent surprise.

"This is what they do in all the Princess movies," I explained, hugging his arm close. "You're my escort. You're escorting me."

"Riiight," he laughed, and for the first time since seeing him in the castle, he actually seemed subdued.

"I'm sorry you didn't pass your exam, Sora," I said. Our pace had slowed somewhat, our voices seeming unnaturally loud in the empty stone corridor.

"Tch, it's not like it's your fault," Sora replied with a small smile. "And honestly . . . I'm not so sure it was my fault, either."

I peered up at him. His arm tensed beneath my grasp and he looked troubled. So I waited for him to speak.

"It doesn't matter," Sora finally said, offering me a shaky twitch of the lips. "All that matters is Riku saved me, and he passed. I'm happy for him."

"Riku . . . Saved you? Saved you from what?" I asked, a bit concerned.

"We can talk about it later," Sora said brightly, squeezing my arm. "We're here."

The gummi ship was much, much larger than its name made it out to be. The door alone was taller than Sora, and when we stepped inside the ship, I was amazed to find that there were doors and hallways, and even a small kitchen! Sora moved into the room past me, putting his hands on his hips and kneeling down in front of a control panel that was beside a cushiony-looking couch.

"What's that for?" I asked inquisitively, putting my hands behind my back and leaning over his broad shoulder. He was fiddling with some wires and switches, and it all looked very confusing.

"Just making sure everything's working," Sora said. "We were having some issues with the sound system on the way over here."

"Sound system?" I said, in complete awe. "This is a really nice ship."

Sora grinned up at me, all brilliant white teeth and glittering cobalt eyes. "Thanks! It's mine."

"Yours? Was it a gift?"

"Sorta." He closed the door of the panel and then strode over to the door we had entered through. He pressed a red button on the wall, and the titanium door slid shut. Another button press, and a loud lock sounded out. "The parts were birthday gifts from when I turned eighteen. Everyone who travels with me knows I love gummi ships."

I couldn't help but feel a bit sad. We had missed so many birthdays, Riku, Sora, and I . . . It was only in these instances that I wished we had completely normal lives, so that we could experience normal teenage things like birthdays and prom and movie dates.

Not that I was saying Sora and I would go to prom together or have movie dates, but . . .

Jeez, why did my mind always wander like this? I swear, if anyone heard my thoughts, they'd barely be able to keep up.

"So who's flying with us?" I asked.

"Just us," Sora said brightly. "Riku's got Keyblade Master stuff to do, and the King is taking Donald and Goofy back to Disney Castle. Axel—er . . . Lea . . . Lea is staying behind with Yen Sid to continue his Keyblade training. So we're on our own."

Couldn't help but blush. Again. For the ten thousandth time.

Sora and I were traveling _alone_? Not that I thought anything was going to _happen_. We were just friends. And I had way too much on my mind. I was going to need lots and lots of sleep.

"Wanna sit in the cockpit with me and look out the windshield?"

Sleep was gonna have to come later.

We spent the next few hours talking, laughing, and just generally having a great time together as friends. The windshield was huge, spanning the entirety of the front of the gummi ship from floor to ceiling. When I stood up and pressed my hands to glass, it felt as though I were speeding through space on my own, viewing the stars right before my very eyes. The trip was relatively uneventful on the Heartless and enemy ship side, so Sora barely had to shoot the guns. This was to my dismay, as I had secretly wanted to see what a gummi ship battle was like. Riku had once told me they were like the high-speed car chases on TV back home.

After a while, I sat down on the metal floor and leaned back on my hands, my eyes drinking in the beauty of deep space. With galaxies and nebulae, clouds of colored gases, twinkling supernovas, deep space had to be more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. It silenced me.

Was this how my subjects were supposed to feel when they looked up me when I became their Queen? Revered, quiet, intimidated? I wasn't sure I wanted to be that type of ruler. I was a friendly person, and to be frank, I had a big heart.

"Whacha thinkin' 'bout?" Sora asked, never taking his eyes off of the area ahead of us. Even if there weren't Heartless ships, there were still random things floating about that could cause them to crash and spin out of orbit.

"Nothin'," I sighed, pushing my bangs out of my sapphire eyes. "I'm just . . . I guess I'm a bit nervous."

"To be Queen?"

". . . Yeah. I'm nervous, and . . . And I'm afraid."

"Nervous? Afraid? Hah! Kairi, you're one of the bravest people I know." Sora smiled genuinely at me for a moment before his eyes went back to the windshield. "I've never seen you back down from a challenge. Hell, it was your idea to build the raft and sail to other worlds, remember?"

"It's not that I want to back down because it's a challenge or anything, it's . . . Well, I'm scared that the people won't like me. I'm scared that I'm going to . . . To fail."

"Aw, don't worry," he encouraged. "You're going to have plenty of help, and the council will practically do the work for you."

"But Sora . . . What if I can't fix everything? There's a disease sweeping through the entirety of the planet, and Yen Sid said it was _my _job to find a cure. Not to mention, a really bad guy is hurting my people. What if he invades and overpowers me?"

Sora frowned. "Galbatorix," he said, his voice lowering into a harsher grate. "Yen Sid told me about him. Listen, Kairi . . . You let me worry about him."

"What do you mean? You're not going to do anything stupid are you? Like rushing off to try and defeat him?"

Sora shook his head. "No. But I pledged myself to be your guardian, and by God if anything happens to you, I'm going to make it my personal mission to destroy whoever lays a hand on your head."

My heart fluttered and my stomach twisted. "Wh-What?"

"Well . . . Of course, guardian or not, I'd kick the butt of whoever hurt you. I've always promised myself that."

I lowered my gaze. Sora was so optimistic, and he always had been. Unfortunately, his optimism is sometimes what got him into the most trouble. I hope that he wasn't blinded by that optimism, and while I trusted that he would be able to protect me, I was scared of someone stronger than him coming along and proving me wrong.

I got up, feeling ready for a nap, but before I completely left the cockpit, I paused behind his chair.

"You're going to do a great job," Sora said, still looking out the window. "I just know it."

"Sora?" I said.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for being my friend."

"Heh . . . No problem. Now, go get some sleep. We'll be there when you wake up."

. . . **zzZZZzzzZZZZz . . .**

Sora landed the gummi ship in the hangar at Hollow Bastion castle, and I waited by the door for the engine to completely stop running. I yawned, still sleepy-eyed from my long nap, and ran my fingers through my hair.

I had to admit, I was a little bit apprehensive to lay eyes upon my birthplace again. The last time I was in Hollow Bastion, I had lost my heart and been a lifeless, unmoving mannequin, lying on the ground. Riku had been possessed by Ansem, using me as a tool to lure Sora so they could battle. Hollow Bastion was a place that held a lot of painful memories for me, especially the memory of Sora's sacrifice.

Because that's what it was, wasn't it? A sacrifice? What had it taken for him to make that decision to stab himself in the heart for me? How long had he struggled with the decision? And was it going to be difficult for me to make decisions on the throne? Was I going to weigh every decision carefully, or was I going to get overwhelmed and throw everything to the dogs just to make things easier for me?

God, I hoped not . . .

"You ready to go?" Sora asked, appearing out of the cockpit with a smile.

I nodded, stifling yet another yawn.

To my surprise, Sora ruffled my hair on either side of my head and chuckled playfully. "You look like you want to go back to napping."

"Mhm," I said lazily.

"Well, you better wake up, because we're literally beneath the castle. When we go up, it's gonna be a madhouse. Let's get going."

Sora and I left the ship behind and headed down a long, dark stone tunnel. There were mechanical lights and gears lining the walls, letting me know that we had indeed just left a gummi ship dock. Our footsteps echoed loudly, the soft pattering of our shoes being the only sound that could soothe my soul at the moment. I clenched my fists—my hands were trembling.

We came up to a single metal elevator that looked more like a birdcage than anything else, and stepped inside. Sora pressed a few buttons and then leaned back against the wall beside me. Now that I looked at him, he looked exhausted.

"When you showed up in Yen Sid's castle," I asked him curiously, "where were you coming from? Because you said you were late . . ."

Sora rubbed his eyes with his palms, laughing a little bit. "Kairi . . . I'm _always_ late."

I giggled. "I believe _that_."

"Just . . . Just don't worry about me, Kairi." He elbowed me lightly. "You need to focus on your coronation."

I frowned. "But you look really tired."

Sora smirked. "Well, you _could_ order me to sleep, as your first official Princess command!"

Eyes twinkling, I nodded once. "As you wish, guardian."

The elevator came screeching to a halt, causing both Sora and I to wince as our ears throbbed.

Cringing, I remarked, "Jeez, looks like my second command is gonna have to be ordering these elevators to be oiled because holy crap."

Sora burst out laughing, much to my bemusement, and nearly got himself stuck on the elevator going back down. He stumbled out just barely in time, holding his stomach as his eyes streamed with mirth. I put my hands on my hips and glowered up at him.

"What's so funny?" I demanded. "Are you mocking me?"

He tried again and again to speak, but just kept laughing. I was so out of my mind confused at his sudden bout of amusement that I didn't notice the rather large assembly of people waiting for us at the entrance to the elevator that was now on its way back down to the basement floor.

A tall man with a large, blue pointed hat, cyan robes, and a nearly floor-length beard cleared his throat. I turned to face him, and he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"Welcome to Hollow Bastion, Princess of Heart," he said warmly. "My name is Merlin, and I was regent up until this very moment."

Next to him, a girl with cropped black hair and hardly any clothes one leapt forward to throw her arms around me in a squeezing embrace. I blinked and tried my best not to feel frightened.

"So _you're _the girl this spiky-haired oaf was scurrying all over the multiverse looking for!" she said. Her voice was so high-pitched and jarring that I had to force myself not to cringe. She held me at arm's-length and grinned wolfishly at me. "I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, resident ninja, at your service!"

I blinked. "Uhh . . . Hi?"

Suddenly, she lifted herself off the ground, performed a fantastic backflip, and landed with two small shuriken drawn. Her eyes gleamed.

"You ever find yourself beneath the claws of a Heartless, you call me, Princess!" she exclaimed. "I'll give 'em the ole one-two! I'll give 'em a _heeee-hah, _and a _whooo-hah_!"

I looked at Sora, but he was completely out of commission. I think his laughter had sent him to space.

"Please ignore her," Merlin spoke. He gestured to the other three people who were standing to his right: A woman with an impossibly long chestnut-brown braid, a man with choppy brown hair and a scar bisecting the upper half of his face, and a woman with bright magenta hair that fell down her back. The pink-haired woman was wearing a maid's uniform, and her hands were clasped in front of her.

Merlin said, "This is Aerith, Leon, and Cheria. Leon and Aerith are responsible for the restoration of Radiant Gardens that took place this past year, so I do hope you will extend them your gratitude. Cheria is a survivor of the destruction of her home planet, and has come to work in the castle to be your lady-in-waiting."

"Nice to meet you guys," I said, nervously tucking my hair behind my ears. I felt odd, meeting these people who were looking to me as their leader whereas I felt like a normal girl meeting new friends in a new world. I didn't know if they had been expecting something or someone else, and I worried that I might not be living to their expectations.

Cheria stepped forward and bowed low at the waist. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty." Her voice was soft and even a little bit sad. My heart went out to her.

I turned to her and tilted my head. "What happened to your home?"

"Ephinea," she said softly, keeping her eyes lowered. "Ephinea was consumed by the darkest of shadows."

"I'm so sorry," I said honestly, a sympathetic expression crossing my facial features. "How did you come to Radiant Gardens?"

Cheria looked at Merlin. "The wizard came and brought the survivors here. He gave us homes and jobs in the cities of the Northern hemisphere. We are spread out and we are few, but we are grateful."

"How often do you get to see your friends?" I asked. "We'll have to go visit them sometime!"

Cheria gasped and one hand flew to her mouth. "V-Visit? My f-friends? Oh, my . . . I would, but I don't really know all of the survivors. Except for two, but they're part of a guild in town that constantly sends them out on missions together."

"Well, maybe when they're back in town, we can go visit them!"

Leon stepped forward, arms crossed. "Your Highness, I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. Not when there's so little time before your coronation. It's too dangerous for you to leave the castle without making the proper arrangements."

Frowning, I said, "Why can't we just make the arrangements?"

Leon exchanged glances with Merlin, who waved a dismissive hand and changed the subject.

"Princess Kairi, why don't you let Cheria show you to your room? In a half-hour, we can regroup in the Great Hall, and you can meet the members of the council. And later, we will prepare a small supper."

"Okay," I agreed, turning to smile at Cheria.

"I guess I'll see you around, Kairi." Sora came to stand next to me. He smiled warmly. "I have to go give a letter from Yen Sid to Merlin, so we can get ready to make things official."

"Make what official?" I asked.

"Me being your guardian, of course," he said cheerfully. "Anyway, I'll see you at dinner!"

Before Cheria led me away, Aerith stepped forward to properly introduce herself.

"There should be a few dresses in the wardrobe in your bedroom, Your Highness," she explained. "Tomorrow, I can arrange to have some servants bring you more clothing."

At this, I couldn't help but perk up. I was a Princess, so that meant I was going to get to wear beautiful gowns made of satin and velvet, laced with ribbons and adorned with bows, didn't it? Even though I tried to appear more tomboyish and tough around Sora and Riku, I was a girly-girl at heart. I was definitely going to have fun with unlimited access to dresses, that was for sure.

"Have fun with that," Sora said. "I need to go get changed myself . . . I think it's time for a new outfit."

I smirked. "Time for the yearly outfit change, is it?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Hey! For the record, when you're traveling on the road, _saving worlds_, you don't really have time to change your clothes every day. And then it doesn't help when a certain blonde memory witch has you asleep in a pod for a year. And to top _that _off, this outfit that I'm wearing now is infused with magic, so it adapts to its environment."

I giggled. "Relax, Sora. I'm just kidding around!"

He put his hands on his hips. "I know _that_, I'm just tryin' to make sure you know I'm not unhygienic. I take showers and wear cologne and all that jazz."

I arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "You wear _cologne_?"

"Yeah." His pulled aside his collar and leaned forward. "Take a whiff."

Blushing, I shook my head. "Um, I'd rather not."

"Hm. Suit yourself." He shrugged and continued, "Anyway, if I'm going to be your personal knight-in-shining-armor or whatever, I think I should look the part."

"Making your own decisions now?" Yuffie skipped over. "Our little Sora's all grown up! How old are you now? Eighteen, was it?"

"For your _information_, I'm eighteen and two months," Sora sniffed haughtily. "So _yeah_, I _am _grown up."

I couldn't resist the urge to poke him in the side. "Says the boy who still has stuffed animals all over his room at home on the Islands."

Sora blanched and hung his head shamefully. "My mom showed you my bedroom?"

I smirked. "Yep. I offered to help her clean it up, but then we both ended up giving up. It looks like a tornado blew through hthere."

Sora opened his mouth to shoot something back, but Leon grabbed him by the hood and dragged him away with little protest from the thoroughly embarrassed Keybearer.

Cheria giggled. "You guys sure re fun to be around, Your Majesty."

"Oh, you don't have to call me by honorifics," I urged her, and then looked at Aerith, Yuffie, and Merlin. "None of you do. I'm still getting used to the idea of this whole Princess thing. Just call me Kairi!"

"On pain of death, I'd rather stick with the honorifics," Yuffie grimaced. "Trust me—if any of the council members or your relatives heard us calling you by your first name, it's off with our heads."

I gasped. "Really? That sounds . . . Abhorrent."

"Tell me about it." Yuffie put her arm around me. "But don't worry. Everyone pretty much follows the rules around here. You probably won't have to deal with anything yucky like that. Anyway, I'm gonna go find my friends in town. I'll catch ya later!"

I waved good bye, and then turned to address Merlin and Aerith. "Thank you for everything. I'll go with Cheria now, and I'll see you guys in the Great Hall!"

"Not me, I'm afraid," Aerith said. "I'm going to head down to the kitchens to oversee the servants' cooking for tonight. It's my job to ensure that the food that is made for you is properly tested, so that you stay protected and safe."

"Oh, um . . . Thank you," I said hesitantly. It sounded dangerous . . . What if someone _did _try to poison me, and Aerith tested the food and actually got poisoned? I hoped she'd never have to go through anything like that.

"Very well," Merlin said, holding out his arm for Aerith to take. "I shall escort you to the kitchens. Your Highness, I beg your leave; we will see you in the Great Hall."

. . . with the_ MOON__** . . .**_

**End Notes: **There we go, a little bit of character development with Sora and Kairi, and other characters are introduced! Not much though, hehe. Anyway! I'll see you guys next time! Leave a review if you like it so far, and thank you to all my current readers and reviewers! You really make me feel good about my writing, so I'm grateful. I know I said I'd reply to reviews in Chapter 2, but I kind-of forgot, haha. Just know that I love you!


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